


Witchcraft

by 1_NoName_among_many



Category: Widdershins (Webcomic)
Genre: After Witch Hunt, Gen, I needed to get it out, They're at the Witch House, This has been rattling around in my head for a while
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:00:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27776503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1_NoName_among_many/pseuds/1_NoName_among_many
Summary: In which we learn a few things about Widdershins, Witches, Anchors and Empire.
Relationships: Eliza Swift & Vincent Knott, Eliza Swift/Ben Thackerey, Jack O'Malley & Ben Thackerey & Heinrich Wolfe, Nicola Barber/Nyree, Vincent Knott/Will Sharpe
Comments: 8
Kudos: 6





	Witchcraft

"Eliza! So glad you could make it! And you've brought your friends!" Ben said. This uncharacteristic display of friendliness was not unnoticed by his own friends.  
"Eliza?" Mal asked. He gave a quick glance to the apothecary's aura. "How on earth didja become friends with the shopkeep who hates us?"  
Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's a long story..."  
"One that will no doubt be shared in time," Wolfe said, defusing the situation. "In the meantime, who are your friends, fair Fräulein?"  
"Well, you've already met Vincent," Eliza said.  
The lawyer stuttered a quick greeting.  
"And this is his boyfriend Will," Eliza continued.  
"Eliza!" Vincent complained "I wanted t-to tell them!"  
"Oops, sorry."  
"Aren't you the guy who almost got hanged a while back?" Mal asked with his characteristic lack of tact.  
"Mal!" Ben complained.  
Will laughed uncomfortably, "It's a long story."  
"One that will no doubt be shared in time," Eliza said, defusing the situation. "In the meantime, may we come in?"  
"Oh, yes, of course," Ben said, gesturing inside.  
"Ahem!" Mal coughed. "My house, my invitation! Yes, you may. Just don't break anything."  
Ben rolled his eyes.  
"That's rich, coming from you," Eliza observed, a rather snide frown on her face.  
"It weren't my fault!" Mal shot back "It was the buggerup's! How'd they get in your place anyway? _You_ aren't a wizard."  
" _Charles_ ," Eliza seethed.  
"An' who's 'e?"  
"If I were to guess, one of her friends at the Fourth Anchor Society," Ben said.  
"Oh, yes, definitely," Will said. "And the most in _suff_ erable one there. I wasn't there for his buggerings-up, but from what I've gathered from the meetings I _have_ attended, he's often wrong, but never uncertain." He paused to take a refreshment that Wolfe had procured. "He _was_ right about one thing though."  
"I thought we agreed to never bring that up!" Eliza complained.  
"Only when within earshot of Charles." Will said.  
Eliza sighed angrily.  
"So what _did_ this Charles get right?" Mal asked.  
"The identity of the Witch of Widdershins." Will answered.  
"Really? How?"  
"As any wizard worth their salt knows, the Witch of Widdershins must meet three criteria." Will began. "I, unfortunately, am not worth my salt, so I had to look them up. Charles was though. Worth his salt that is."  
"You've forgotten already, haven't you?" Eliza said.  
"Yes." Will hung his head in shame.  
"I haven't though," Ben cut in. "The Witch of Widdershins must have no fixed abode (until given the House that is), must be a member of a disenfranchised group, and must not be advantageously affiliated with the English aristocracy."  
"That's it!" Will exclaimed. "And Mr. O'Malley, as an Irish Traveller, is the only person local who fits those criteria. Eliza's choice, on the other hand, fails all three."  
"And what was your choice?" Ben asked. "If I may ask."  
Eliza sighed again, more consternated this time. "Promise not to laugh?"  
"Cross my heart," Ben said, suiting the action to the word, then took an unwise sip of his own drink.  
"Harriet Barber."  
Ben snorted into his cup and started coughing.  
"Oh come on!" Eliza complained. "All the evidence I had pointed to Harry! She went missing after the Sins thing, and no one claimed to be the Witch! How was I to know the real one was just shy?"  
"Hey!" Mal cried. "I'm not _shy_! I'm miss-ann-throw-pick." He carefully articulated the last word.  
"Whatever!" Eliza shot back. "The point is, how was I to know that the little vagabond that destroyed my shop on a routine basis was secretly the Witch of Widdershins?"  
"To be fair," Ben said, having finally caught his breath. "We didn't know either. I had suspicions, of course, but, quite frankly, I didn't want them to be true."  
"Me neither, honestly," Mal said. "I'd heard some bad things about witches."  
"What I w-want to know," Vincent said, almost forgotten by everyone but Wolfe, "Is why it's so f-funny Eliza thought Harry was the W-witch."  
"Yes, why is it so funny?" Wolfe asked.  
"Because Harry Barber is a _Barber_ ," Ben explained, "and thus in line for the Barony of Widdershins. Her family is why we know the third criterion exists."  
"Oh, how so?" Wolfe asked.  
"I've got this one," Will said. "The first Baron of Widdershins _was_ the Witch of Widdershins. Or rather, he was the Witch until the second he was ennobled, when his powers abandoned him. That was the first time in recorded history Widdershins was witchless. A new witch popped up fifteen years later, a Scots highlander kind of on the run, and she eventually fell in love with the first Baron's son, and married him, at which point she lost her powers as well. That was the second time Widdershins was witchless. Twenty years later, the next witch showed up, a Roma girl that ended up summoning Lust for some reason and Widdershins has been witchless since. Well, until now, of course," the failed wizard finished a touch inelegantly.  
"Wait, I could lose my powers?" Mal asked, a touch of fear in his voice.  
"That's what the history books say," Ben said. "Fortunately, it only seems to happen if you violate the terms of the Pact of the Druids."  
"The Pack of the what?"  
"The Pac _t_ of the Druids," Ben said, with a little more articulation. "It's an ancient spell the Druids performed back when Rome tried to conquer them. It boils down to this: No power that claims inheritance from Rome - including the British crown - can claim the Anchor of Widdershins for itself. That's why Widdershins, like Inner London, is a free city."  
"A free city?" Wolfe asked "What does that mean?"  
"Remember when Princess Victoria visited?" Ben asked.  
"Of course." Wolfe nodded. "That peacock thing almost exploded her."  
"Yes, well, you remember that ceremony where she curtsied to the gates and asked Mayor Hackett for permission to enter the city?"  
"Of course." Wolfe nodded again.  
"That's what it means to be a free city in England," Ben explained. "In Inner London's case, it's almost entirely traditional, and the only incentives to maintain it are mundane economic matters. But in our case, there is ample evidence that, if the monarchy of England doesn't recognize and respect the power and authority of the Anchor, and by extension the City, Bad Things happen."  
"What kind of Bad Things?"  
"Well," Eliza cut in. "George III went mad and lost the colonies because he visited Widdershins and didn't bow to the gates. Queen Anne miscarried 16 times and lost her only surviving son because she visited Widdershins and didn't ask the mayor for permission to enter. Charles I lost his head in a Puritan revolt because he visited Widdershins and spat on the Anchor. Mary I (the bloody one) had a false pregnancy because she tried to dissolve Widdershins' status as a free city - and it only ended when she gave up the attempt. The list goes on. Although even I think it's a little... overfull."  
"Oh, that r-reminds me!" Vincent said. "Now that you've assumed c-control, the King and his family has to ask _you_ for permission, not the m-mayor."  
"Wait," Mal said, a look of excited glee growing on his face, "you mean to tell me that I can tell the King of England to bugger off?"  
"Not in so many words," Ben said, intensely disapproving of the oath, especially in this context, "but yes. You also have the right to a private audience with the King."  
"Sweet," Mal said, rubbing his hands in glee.  
"Ah," Wolfe spoke up, "do you think this Pact of the Druids has anything to do with the fact that Nepal and Aotearoa are still free from European control?"  
"Oh, undoubtedly," Ben answered. "The witches of the time probably worked it together so no power could even tangentially claim all three of them."  
"Ahem!" Eliza complained.  
"I stand by what I said," Ben said defiantly. "Nyree said that only three of the anchors have ever been activated - the fourth is still unclaimed, and has been for as long as as there have been witches."  
"Who's Nyree?" Will asked.  
"The Witch of Tapu Tohunga Motu," Ben answered. "She's visiting."  
"WHAT!?" Eliza shouted "Where is she?"  
"Having dinner with Captain Barber," Wolfe said with a wink.  
"WHERE?" Eliza shouted again.  
"The Pink Lady," Mal said with a wide grin, seizing the opportunity to annoy the captain.  
And with that, the eager detective ran off to, rather unadvisedly, confront her boss's date.


End file.
